Thrall Intelligence
The was a type of organic super computer developed by The Demiurge as an effort to close the technology gap in artificial intelligence between them and the UNSC. Using a 'wetware' component, an organic mind, they could create a machine that could close to the performance of a smart A.I. though falling just short of the raw processing power. The augmentations required to do this were extraordinarily invasive, and the strain placed on the organic component often burned them out after a few years in service, but ultimately, this cheap method allowed the Demiurge, and their successor states, to quickly equip their forces with A.I.s. History Performance Types Choir-type Thrall Intelligence group Hymn-type Thrall Intelligence city Psalm-type Thrall Intelligence research Orthodoxy-type Thrall Intelligence planetary defence Sermon-type Thrall Intelligence communication Liturgy-type Thrall Intelligence Devised to operate large numbers of drones, the Liturgy-type is specially designed for simultaneously controlling large numbers of drones, for combat, reconnaissance, and other purposes. While technically a mobile unit, they are designed to operate within a larger control unit. This could be a simply modified control pod for operating drones working on shipyards, or construction projects. They can be implanted in a modified fighter, allowing them to directing swarms of drone fighters, or implanted into ground vehicles to direct air and ground drone combat forces from an armoured shell. While a dominant psyche forms, the psyche often splinters into smaller personalities that get applied to constructs under it's command. In order to facilitate massed parallel commands, it features a large number of implants, designed to improve multi-tasking to massive scales. Creed-type Thrall Intelligence Communion-type Thrall Intelligence Considered a baseline for Thrall Intelligence patterns, the Communion-type is used in most warships, including corvettes, destroyers, and cruisers. As this pattern is almost always in a state of use, it is directly installed into the ship's central computer, and hooked up to life support. They are kept like this in perpetuity, aside from brief maintenance periods. The lifespan for most in this class is short, burning out after a short period, but those with a high synchronization rate can function in perpetuity. The Intelligence losses their sense of self and subsumes into a strange gestalt intelligence, taking on a perceived persona of the ship. Proselyte-type Thrall Intelligence electronic warfare Theologian-type Thrall Intelligence While a Communion-type is fine for operating ships, from corvettes to battlecruisers, larger, more advanced warships, require significantly more processing power. The result is the Theologian-type. This utilises not one Thrall Intelligence, but two bound together by cybernetic augmentation. Using implants, both TIs share the load of operating the warship, improving processing power, response speed, and operating capability. Both TIs are semi-permanently installed in the ship, and continue until dysfunction of maintenance. Communion-types have just a 22% success rate, most failing catastrophically during the process that cybernetically links both, failing to synchronise within acceptable parameters, and are recycled for other uses. However, anecdotal evidence suggests bonded pairings, such as friends, or family members, produce better results. Eschaton-type Thrall Intelligence The Eschaton-type is designed as a combat support AI, for usage by ground troops in military action. The T.I. is used for a variety of roles such as logistics, management, repair, and support. It is also used for more direct military purposes, such as planning, strategy, training, intelligence gathering, and military support. To this end, the Eschaton does not contain the Intelligence to a pod, or a life support system, and instead they move as they did prior to augmentation. They can connect themselves to nearby computer systems. However, this makes them as vulnerable as anybody to damage. Due to their social presence, they often retain some measure of personality, but implants render them subservient. They hold some measure of mascot status in some units. Sacrament-type Thrall Intelligence While the Eschaton is a competent for direction a War Host sized unit, military strategy, logistics, and management on a larger scale is simply not possible for it. Hence the development of the Sacrament. While the Sacrament is not technically confined to a life support system like the Eschaton, it is tethered to a bank of quantum computers that significantly enhance it's processing power. It can be disconnected for movement, but command doctrine is for it to remain as tethered as often as possible. Like the Eschathon, they remain some measure of their original personality. They are usually installed into command vehicles, or stored in headquarters. Exegesis-type Thrall Intelligence exploration Propitiation-type Thrall Intelligence The Propitiation-type Thrall Intelligence is a modular unit, designed to quickly be augmented to serve in specific roles. As part of the Decimator-class Veilship. they can be quickly augmented to serve a number of roles within the confines of the Veil ship. They are kept in a partially modified state, and left in suspended animation, until the ship requires crew. From here, the automated medical facilities can augmented them to the required role, then instal them into the ship as needed. They can be removed for repairs, or redeployment, but such actions are usually rare. *Princeps: The commander, the Princeps actions is not to control a specific ship function, but to direct the actions of the others. The Princeps commands absolutely over the others, issuing override commands, and direction, and is the one to respond directly to commands from the Demiurge Navy. *Optio: Second to the Princeps, if the Princeps fails, or ceases function, the Optio takes it's role. Outside of that, the Optio controls navigation, and faster than light travel. *Dominus Major: The Dominus Major commands the main weapon batteries, usually directing the torpedoes and plasma lances in battle, aiming to attack and disable enemy vessels. *Dominus Minor: Second to the Major, the Dominus Minor directs the secondary weapons, working on conjunction for attacking enemy ships and defending the ship. *Tribune: This TI is assigned to attacking enemy vessels on the electronic spectrum, hampering their sensors, or hacking into vulnerable ship board sensors. *Sibyl: The Sibyl is the Intelligence responsible for scouting operations, often conducting missions that can cover sectors worth of space. Such efforts are enormously taxing, and the unit often requires significant downtime, moving duties onto other, inactive units to improve performance. *Signifier: Managing communications between friendly fleets, thousands of drones, and Demiurge Navy Command is by no means an easy task. To ease this, one TI is solely dedicated to managing ingoing and outgoing communications. *Decurion Prime: The Decurion Prime is tasked with the main operations of the Decimator's flight wing, taking precedence over all other Decurion TIs. They conduct mainline battle operations, arranging swarm attacks and assaults on enemy. *Decurion Major: Second to the Prime, the Decurion Major is primarily charged with defence and intercept, protecting the Prime's cohort, while defending the ship. *Decurion Minor: The Minor directs secondary operations, leading flanking operations, or rear guard actions, or directing close defence of the flagship, or it's escorts. *Decurion Auxilia: When the load of any higher Decurion becomes too high, the Auxilia steps in to assist. When not assisting, it is concerned with defensive operations. *Prefect: The Prefect handles the the day to day minutiae of the ship, directing fuelling, salvage, repair, and rearmament. These TIs are used to ensure the ship's continuity in the event of battle damage or supply drain. *Interrex: The Interrex was assigned combat direction and command of the sub vessels, directing the TIs commanding them, potentially across hundreds of light years. On the sub vessels, it can also hold specialised crew. *Flayer-class Veil Cruiser **Hastati: Commanders of the cruiser, they are aggressive and hostile, making them the perfect predator. They control ship navigation, and primary weapon loadouts, utilising them to attack the enemy. **Aquilifer: Secondary TI on the Flayer-class, they focus on usage of secondary weapon systems, battle management, and communications. They keep the ship operational during combat, and operate the short ranged intercept weapons. **Venator: The Venator is the supporting TI who controls the ship's array of electronic warfare systems. Using these, they attack the enemy in a variety of ways, hampering their ability to conduct combat operations. *Executioner-class Veil Frigate **Velites: The primary TI of the Executioner-class, they use subroutines based on pack predators, coordinating trough the secondary TI. They handle navigation, and main weapons. **Draconarius: As part of the pack hunting nature of the Executioner-class, they coordinate with the mothership, and other vessels, and they defend the ship using secondary weapons. *Razor-class Veil Frigate **Triarii: Unlike the predatory Executioner-class, the Triarii protect their mother ship with almost suicidal fervour, staying close, and protecting it. The TI is appropriately programmed in this manner. **Vigiles: The Vigiles operates the electronic warfare modules on the ship, which are primarily geared to defensive systems meant to protect the ship from attack and harm. **Vexillarius: The Vexillarius operates the secondary weapons of the Razor-class, and the communication systems, and they also operate the shield array that protects it, and it;s charges. The Vexillarius coordinates to create shield barriers to protect other vessels. *Guillotine-class Veil Commander **Centurion: The Centurion is a forward commander, operating as a node of the mothership's TI network, enhancing command and control in the forward battle space. Notable Units